Dispenser pack



Sept. 12, 1967 R MARSH 3,341,003

DISPENSER PACK Filed Dec. 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

INVENTOR JOHN R. MARSH J. R. MARSH Sept. 12, 1967 I INVENTOR JOHN R. MARSH United States Patent 3,341,003 DISPENSER PACK John R. Marsh, Newark, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Mobil Oil Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 419,162 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-57) The present invention relates to package structures and more particularly to package structures which may be employed for the packaging of a plurality of bags or bag-like containers.

In the past, there have been numerous techniques employed for the packaging of a plurality of individual bag containers all of which have certain disadvantages. In particular, plastic bags for example, due to the fact that they are normally fabricated from very thin, limp material which is especially difiicult to handle require very special packaging attention. Additionally, the package must be designed so that the individual bags may be easily dispensed from the package by the user. One package type, commonly employed for the packaging of such bags, is sometimes referred to as a loose pack. In such a pack the bags are merely folded 0r packed flat and then wrapped in an outer covering material such as a paperboard carton or a plastic envelope. An outstanding disadvantage of such a pack is the tendency of bags contained therein to become wrinkled or loose and disorganized after initial use of the pack so that subsequent withdrawal of individual bags by the user becomes quite difficult. Another package type, commonly employed for packaging and dispensing plastic bags is the bag-on-a-roll package, This type of package constitutes an improvement over the loose pack in that the individual bags on the roll are consecutively connected along a perforated line for easy tear-off and the entire roll of bags is usually contained in a paperboard box. However, there are limitations on the ease and speed of dispensing as well as the fact that the user must employ both hands, one to secure the box and the other to draw out a bag from the box. The bag packs of the present invention, in addition to over-coming the inherent disadvantages of the prior art bag packaging systems, ofier hitherto unavailable advantages relative to the packaging systems described above. In particular, the present bag packs offer complete ease of dispensing individual bags as well as maintaining and securing the individual bags in a readily accessible, neat, superposed order during the dispensing operation and also forming a convenient storage pack for the unused bags.

More particularly, the bag packs of the present invention are useful for packaging thin bags, as for example, thin plastic bags, which are fabricated having a line of perforations extending transversely across the entire top portion of the bag. The bags are then stacked together, one on top of the other, forming a flat stack of bags having perforated top portions in substantially superposed alignment with one another. The number of bags constituting a complete stack may naturally vary depending on the quantity of bags which are desired in a single pack. Subsequently, the stack of bags is packed in the container pack of the present invention.

For a more complete understanding of the package structure of the present invention and for purposes of illustration, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag pack of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pack shown in FIG. 1, but in a partly opened condition to further illustrate the structure of the assembly;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 1;

3,341,003 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 FIG. 4 is a face View of a blank from which the container constituting a part of the present invention, is made; FIG. 5 is an example of the type of bag construction which may be employed in the dispenser pack of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is an illustrative example of another type of bag construction which may also be employed in the dispenser pack of the present invention,

The package structure, illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, comprises a continuous protective sheet enclosure having a backing sheet 12 and a cover sheet 15 folded thereover. The backing sheet has an extension or lip 11 which is folded over the top front portion of said backing sheet and thereby disposed for locking engagement with the cover sheet. An integral interconnecting hinge 10 in FIG. 4 may be employed to join the backing sheet to the cover sheet. The continuous protective sheet may be made of material such as paperboard or the like, the basic criterion for the selection of a suitable material being that it be sufliciently strong to protect and carry the bags disposed in the package.

The bags themselves are secured in this package structure as illustrated in FIG. 3. A superposed stack of bags, perforated transversely near their open end, is placed upon the container :backing sheet section 12. The backing sheet lip 11 is folded down across the top portions of the bag stack and secured thereto by means of wire staples 13 or the like which are passed through folded backing sheet lip 11, the upper end portion 14 of the bags and finally through backing sheet 12, thereby firmly securing the top portion above the perforated line of each individual bag to the container. As illustrated in the drawings, 14 in FIG. 5, the upper end portion of the bag is defined by the area of the bag between the transverse perforate line 16 and the open end of the bag. The staples or other fastening means are affixed to and secure the bags in this area.

Thus, the fastened end portions of each bag constitute the connection of the bag to the continuous protective cover enclosure and to the other bags fastened to the protective cover. Such an arrangement allows the free suspension of the bags in front of the backing sheet, so that each may be removed individually by merely grasping the bottom of the bag and tearing it off across the transverse perforate line which separates the upper end portion of the bag from the bag proper, 17 in FIG. 5. The package structure facilitates ease of removal of the individual bags from the container without disturbing the arrangement of the other bags which remain firmly secured to the container and ready for dispensing.

When the bag dispenser is not in use, the package may be closed to afford protection to the remainder of bags in the dispenser by folding cover sheet 15 upwardly around the bottom of the bag stack, thereby covering the remaining bags. The cover sheet may be secured in this folded over position by locking engagement with backing sheet lip 11. This may be accomplished by merely inserting the edge of the cover sheet under the backing sheet lip between the bags and the undersurface of said backing sheet lip. If a more positive locking engagement of said cover sheet with said lip is desired a number of other arrangements may be employed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4 the leading edge of cover sheet 15 may have a centrally located lip extension 18, and backing sheet lip 11 is constructed so that its leading edge has a centrally located recess 19, the configuration of the recess being similar to that of the centrally located lip extension 18 on the cover sheet. When the cover sheet is nowfolded over the top of the bag stack, the central lip extension passes into said recess and under the backing sheet lip, thereby firmly securing the cover sheet in a closed position to the backing sheet lip.

The centrally located recess in the backing sheet lip described above serves a two fold purpose. In addition to providing a locking means for the cover sheet, it also assists in the removal of the individual bags from the container. It has been found that when particularly thin gauge plastic bags are arranged in a superposed stack, such as polyethylene or polypropylene for example, it is sometimes difiicult to grasp the bottom of a single bag so that it may be removed by merely pulling the bottom of the uppermost bag and thereby tearing it across the transverse perforate line described above. There is a definite tendency for the bags to cling and stick together so that it is diificult to grasp the bottom of the uppermost bag in the stack without disturbing or having the remainder of the bags interfere with the rapid removal of a single bag. Moreover, if bags are dispensed or torn off in such a manner, when the user attempts to open the top portion of the bag which has been severed along the transverse perforate line, there is a tendency of the edges of the bag top to stick or block together thereby necessitating extra handling by the user to gain access to the interior of the bag.

The recess, located along the lower edge of the backing sheet lip when it is in its folded over position, remedies the foregoing dispensing problems by allowing access to the top portion of the uppermost bag in the package. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the backing sheet lip 11 which is folded over the top portion of the bag stack, covers also the transverse perforate line along which the bags are torn to remove the bag proper from the upper portion of the bag, which upper portion is secured to the container itself by wire staples for example. The centrally located recess exposes a portion 16 of the perforate line thereby enabling the user to draw, using slight finger pressure, down across exposed portion 16' of the perforate line, thereby easily rupturing the perforate line across the exposed side of the uppermost bag and by continued drawing in a single downward motion, serving a single bag from the stack of bags and simultaneously opening the bag itself to allow for immediate access to the bags interior. Thus, in a single continuous movement, the individual bag is easily separated from the remainder of bags in the stack, served from the retaining means, and opened for immediate use.

It will be understood that for large bags, i.e. bags whose length exceeds the desired finished package length, the bottom portion of the bags may be folded over to the extent required by the final package length, and the cover sheet folded over the folded bag stack and locked into place as described above. Likewise, for large bags, whose facewidth exceeds the desired finished package width, the stack of bags may first be placed flat and then folded lengthwise, e.g., in halves, quarters or thirds, until the width of the folded bag is equivalent to the desired container width.

When the individual bags, for use with the package of the present invention, are fabricated, the bags are formed so that their finished length exceeds the length of the bag required for final use. This extra material is separated from the bag proper as the bag is dispensed by tearing across the perforate line, the extra material remaining secured, by the staple retaining means, to the container itself. The exact length of the extra material, i.e. the distance between the bag top and the transverse perforate line, may vary depending upon the type of bags that are packaged, however, for purposes of the present invention, it has been found that from about 0.5 inch to about 1.5 inches of extra material is generally suitable, i.e., the transverse perforate line along which the bag is severed may be located, for example, from about 0.5 inch to about 1.5 inches below the open bag top.

The bags which may be packaged in the dispenser pack of the present invention are generally of a design common to this type of bags. For example, a bag as illustrated in FIG. is essentially a flattened tube of plastic film sealed along the bottom edge 20 and opened along the top portion 21. A transverse line of perforations 16 extends transversely across the top portion of the bag to facilitate ease of removal of the individual bags from the dispenser pack of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates another type of plastic bag which may be employed with the present dispenser pack. In this instance, the bag again is essentially a flattened tube of plastic closed at the bottom and open at the top. This type of bag, however, differs from the bag illustrated in FIG. 5 by virtue of the fact that the back wall portion 23 is slightly longer than the front wall 22 thereby forming a lip extension 23 extending beyond the open bag mouth. This type of plastic bag is commonly referred to as a side-seal bag. When this type of bag is employed in the dispenser pack of the present invention, a transverse perforate line extends across the entire length of said lip portion at its base or adjacent to the open mouth of the bag. When this type of bag is fastened in the present dispenser pack only the upper lip portion of the bag is engaged by the staple fastening means, so that when an individual bag is dispensed by tearing across the perforate line, bag lip portion 23' remain fastened to the dispenser pack.

The plastic bags employed in the present invention may also be gussetted along their bottom or side edges dependent upon their end use application.

It may be desired to suspend the package structure of the present invention at a convenient height while bags are being dispensed from the package. This may be accomplished by providing the package with a centrally located aperture 24 extending through the backing sheet lip, the upper portions of the bags above the transverse perforate line and through the backing sheet. This central opening, extending through the top of the bag pack, allows for convenient suspension of the pack on any suitable extension or protrusion, such as a nail for example, either when the bags are being dispensed or when the pack is not in use.

In some instances, in order to protect the contents of the bag pack of the present invention from contamination, which may enter through the open side edges of the pack, it has been found desirable to encase the entire package of bags in a thermoplastic, tight-fitting, continuous protective enclosure. This may be accomplished by inserting the bag pack into a bag or pouch constructed of a thermoplastic, heat shrinkable, film such as polyethylene, irradiated polyethylene, or polypropylene for example. Next, the top of the pouch containing the bag package is sealed. Finally, the exterior of the thermoplastic encased package is exposed to heat, sufficient enough to cause the pouch to shrink tightly about the package, thereby providing the bag package with a tight-fitting, continuous protective enclosure. When the package is ready for use, the thermoplastic protective Covering may be easily removed from the bag pack by simply tearing it open.

Although the present invention has been described with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such variations and modifications are considered to be in the purview and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A package of thin plastic bags comprising a superposed stack of bags, each of said bags having a transverse line of perforations extending across the top portion thereof; a continuous protective cover enclosing said stack of bags said cover comprising a backing sheet upon which the bag stack is supported; a backing sheet lip folded over the top portion of said bag stack and fastened thereto; said backing sheet lip being further characterized by having a centrally located recess along the leading edge thereof whereby a central portion of said perforate line is exposed when said package is in an open condition;

said backing sheet having a cover sheet hinged transversely across the bottom thereof; a centrally located lip extension along the leading edge of said cover sheet adapted for locking engagement with said recessed =backing sheet lip whereby said cover sheet may be folded about its hinge upwardly around the bottom of said bag stack and over the uppermost bag in said bag stack for locking engagement of said cover sheet lip extension with said centrally recessed backing sheet lip.

2. A package of bags as defined in claim 1 wherein said package is encased in a tight fitting, continuous thermoplastic protective enclosure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Tschopik 20657 Ten Eyck.

Colgate 20629 Rumsey.

Lowry 20657 White 20657 10 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. T. DIXSON, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE OF THIN PLASTIC BAGS COMPRISING A SUPERPOSED STACK OF BAGS, EACH OF SAID BAGS HAVING A TRANSVERSE LINE OF PERFORATIONS EXTENDING ACROSS THE TOP PORTION THEREOF; A CONTINUOUS PROTECTIVE COVER ENCLOSING SAID STACK OF BAGS SAID COVER COMPRISING A BACKING SHEET UPON WHICH THE BAG STACK IS SUPPORTED; A BACKING SHEET LIP FOLDED OVER THE TOP PORTION OF SAID BAG STACK AND FASTENED THERETO; SAID BACKING SHEET LIP BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED RECESS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE THEREOF WHEREBY A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID PERFORATE LINE IS EXPOSED WHEN SAID PACKAGE IS IN AN OPEN CONDITION; SAID BACKING SHEET HAVING A COVER SHEET HINGED TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE BOTTOM THEREOF; A CENTRALLY LOCATED LIP EXTENSION ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID COVER SHEET ADAPTED FOR LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RECESSED BACKING SHEET LIP WHEREBY SAID COVER SHEET MAY BE FOLDED ABOUT ITS HINGE UPWARDLY AROUND THE BOTTOM OF SAID BAG STACK AND OVER THE UPPERMOST BAG IN SAID BAG STACK FOR LOCKING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID COVER SHEET LIP EXTENSION WITH SAID CENTRALLY RECESSED BACKING SHEET LIP. 